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THE 

GROWTH OF METHUEN, 



A paper read before the Methuen Historical 
Society by Joseph S. Howe. 



I am sorry that no one is prepared 
with a paper to read to us tonight on 
some subject relating to the past. It 
may be that we attempted too much 
when we tried to have an elaborate 
historical paper at each of our monthly 
meetings. The field for us is neces- 
sarily Hmited in extent, although there 
are many subjects of interest which 
might be profitably investigated. I 
find upon inquiry among other histori- 
cal societies that few, if any, have as 
frequent meetings as we have had, or 
an essay at each meeting. We have 
talent enough in our Society, but 
members have not the time to spare 
which is necessary for the preparation 
of an elaborate paper on any historical 
subject. 

In the absence of anything better, I 
have thought it might be interesting to 
occupy a few moments in a review of 
the events and changes which have 
been taking place in our town in the 
recent past. 

Since our last regular monthly meet- 
ing the Historical Society has had no 



meeting or excursion such as we have 
so frequently talked about. The So- 
ciety however, had a rather informal 
invitation from the Topsfield Historical 
Society to visit Topsfield on July 27th 
with the Essex Institute, and other 
historical societies of the county. The 
morning was unfortunately cloudy and 
threatening, so that but fifteen mem- 
bers of our Society responded to the 
invitation. Those who did so were 
well repaid. 

The trip through the country on the 
electrics is a delightful one, and to 
most of us was new. Topsfield is a 
typical old New England town, set 
among the hills, occupied mostly by 
farmers, with here and there the 
dwelHng of some well-to-do city resi- 
dent who has chosen Topsfield for a 
summer home. It was one of the 
earliest settled towns in Essex County 
and we were shown one house which 
was built before the Indians ceased to 
be troublesome, and whenitv/as neces- 
sary to build the houses with reference 
to defence. The forenoon was occu- 
pied by those who reached the town 
in season, in visiting places of interest. 
In the afternoon a meeting was held 
in the town hall. About every histori- 
cal society in the county appeared to 
be represented. We Methuenites did 
not arrive until nearly noon, so that 
we did not have an opportunity to see 
many of the interesting places in the 
town. 

The meeting in the town hall was 
presided over by Hon. Robert S. Ran- 
toul of Salem, President of the Essex 



P. 
Society* 



Institute, and the addresses were made 
by distinguished literary and scientific 
men and women, and were of an un- 
usually high order. 

Mr. Rantoul, in his opening address, 
told us about the early history of 
Topsfield, and how it was in the past 
one of the most important towns in 
the county. Some of us know that 
Topsfield was more frequently men- 
tioned in early history than most other 
towns in Essex County, but few of us 
knew why, until we heard his explana- 
tion. The geographical centre of 
Essex County is near the hall where 
the exercises were held. The New- 
buryport and Boston turnpike runs 
through the town a little east of the 
village, and the old Salem turnpike, — 
I believe it was called — runs a mile or 
two south. In old times the stage 
lines between Newburyport and Boston 
ran on the Newburyport turnpike, and 
from this part of the county to Salem 
on the Salem turnpike, intersecting in 
or near Topsfield. 

There was a famous tavern in Tops- 
field near the intersection of these two 
roads, so that Topsfield was the most 
accessible and central place for county 
meetings before the days of railroads. 
People could drive to Topsfield from 
any part of the county and return the 
same day, or they could easily reach it 
by stage. Hence the old tavern in 
Topsfield became the place where 
many of the county meetings, political 
and otherwise, were held. I think 
that nearly all such meetings were held 
at Topsfield or Ipswich. 



Mr. Rantoul told us of several 
important and educational movements 
which were organized at Topsfield, 
and, in this connection, we Methuenites 
were proud to hear him name Methuen. 
He told us that among the important 
movements which have originated in 
Essex County the Lyceum system, 
which for many years had such a wide 
spread influence over the country, had 
its inception in Methuen, and received 
its first impetus from a county society 
which was organized at Topsfield by 
representatives from the different 
towns in the county. Very little is 
known of the old Lyceum in this town, 
and this society can do no more 
important work than to ascertain what 
can now be learned of the beginnings 
of a system which has had such a far- 
reaching influence, and whose origin 
here is an honor we ought to claim. 
I will not speak of the other addresses, 
which were valuable and interesting, 
and will only say that we returned 
home rejoicing in a day well spent. 

Since our last meeting the event 
which has caused the deepest sorrow 
to the people of Methuen was the 
death of David Nevins, the last male 
member of the family which has done 
so much for this town. This building, 
the fine library in the adjoining room, 
the fund with which the Memorial 
has been endowed, the magnificent 
memorial to Henry C. Nevins at the 
stone church, will make the name a 
household word in this town for all 
coming time. Few towns have had a 
gift so valuable and so well planned 



for the future as the Nevins Memorial. 
The elegant grounds, every tree in 
which was selected and set by Henry 
C. Nevins, whose practised eye was 
never at fault in such matters, will 
always delight the eyes of every one 
fond of the beautiful in nature. This 
building is one of which any town or 
city may be proud. And the manage- 
ment of the magnificent fund with 
which the whole is endowed is so 
wisely planned that so far as human 
foresight can perceive, the inhabitants 
of the town are secure in the contin- 
uance of the whole for an indefinite 
future. Surely the people of this 
town, now and for all coming time, 
owe a debt of gratitude to the Nevins 
family, which will be more and more 
appreciated as time goes on. 

I do not know what items of historic 
interest may have been gathered up 
during the summer by members of the 
society, but hope there have been 
many. One fact has come to my 
notice which is of some interest, and 
that is that the parents of Thaddeus 
Stevens, who was so prominent in 
national politics a few years ago, once 
lived in this town. There was a rumor, 
about the time of his death, that his 
ancestors once lived here, but nothing 
certain was known about it. But a 
few weeks ago I received a letter from 
Congressman Samuel McCall, saying 
that he was writing the biography of 
Thaddeus Stevens, and wishing me to 
ascertain what could be learned about 
his parents, who were said to have 
lived here. An examination of the 



old tax books disclosed the fact that 
the father of Thaddeus Stevens lived 
here until within a year or two of the 
birth of Mr. Stevens, when he removed 
— as Mr. McCall says to the state of 
Vermont. So it seems that Methuen 
just missed being the birthplace of the 
*'Great Commoner." 

The changes which are taking place 
in Methuen we hardly perceive, so 
gradual are they, but the future his- 
torian of the town will discover that it 
is now passing through a period of re- 
markable growth. To get a clear idea 
of just what is happening, we will 
make the best survey we can of the 
past five years. And first as to popu- 
lation. The assessors' statistics, and 
the state census, taken in 1895, furnish 
the only data in existence for that 
period. It is therefore impossible to 
know the exact number of inhabitants 
except in the years when the state or 
national census is taken. But a pretty 
close estimate may be made from the 
number of poll tax payers as ascer- 
tained by the assessors in each year. 
The ratio of poll tax payers to the 
total population was almost exactly 
the same under the national census in 
1890, and the state census in 1895. 

The population of Methuen in 1890 
was 4814, and in 1895, 5690. The 
number of assessed polls in 1890 was 
1259, in 1895, 1495, and in 1898, 
1839 ; in the census years almost four 
inhabitants to an assessed poll. Es- 
timating on this basis, we had a popu- 
lation on May 1st of this year, of a 
little over 7000, a gain of more than 



13D0 in three years. Methuen is now 
the fifth town in population in Essex 
county, the larger towns being Ames- 
bury, Danvers, Marblehead and Pea- 
body. The number of dwelling houses 
has increased from 905 in 1893 — five 
years ago— to 1179 in May of 1898, 
a gain of 274 dwelling houses in five 
years. I think there is no doubt that 
there are now more than 1200 dwell- 
ing houses in the town. 

This increase has not been confined 
to any one section of Methuen, but 
has been greatest in the west part of 
the village, the Arlington District, and 
on the lines of electric road in both 
ends of the town. The demand for 
house lots has led to the laying out of 
many new streets, whose very names 
are as yet unknown to us, and house 
lots enough, if everyone was built 
upon, to comfortably accommodate 
the people of a city of twenty thousand 
inhabitants. The number of school 
children has increased in the five 
years from 936 to 1266, a gain of 330, 
enough for eight schools of 40 scholars 
each. 

Another indication of growth is in 
the increased number of dogs ; 290 
were licensed in 1893, and 351 in 
1898. So it would seem that the in- 
crease of dogs does not keep pace with 
the increase in population ; a curious 
fact which will probably be variously 
accounted for, according to the differ- 
ent degrees of love or hatred which a 
person has for the canine race. 

The property of the town has mate- 
rially increased in the past five years, 



but probably not in quite the ratio of 
population. The valuation in 1893 
was $3,396,345 and in 1898, 
$4,104,108— a gain of $707,763 in 
the five years. When we consider 
that no large business enterprise has 
been located in the town within that 
time, and that most of the new comers 
are v»'orking people of small means, 
1 think the gain is quite as much as 
could reasonably be expected. It is 
doubtful if the farming interests of the 
town have on the whole developed 
much. Some of our most prosperous 
farmers are doing more than ever, but 
the number of such is small, and more 
than offset by those who are doing 
less. 

The number of horses in the town 
in 1893 was 742, in 1898, 780; an 
increase of 38. This probably only 
indicates that horses are used less 
than formerly, and has no bearing on 
the amount of business done. Farm- 
ers, doubtless, use as many horses as 
ever. The number of cows in town in 
1893 was 1233, and in 1898, 1154, a 
decrease of 23. In 1890 the number 
was 1368, — 214 more than on May 1st 
of this year. Whether this decrease 
is due to the fact that farmers think 
that but little money can be made in 
making milk, or whether the stringent 
laws which have been enacted in 
recent years to regulate its production 
and sale, have produced this result, I 
will not attempt to say. It is a singu- 
lar fact, that a large increase in the 
demand should be accompanied by a 
decrease in production. 

8 



The vital statistics of the town, 
afford many points of interest, a few of 
which I will mention. 

The number of births in the past 
five years has been as follows : 1893, 
134; 1894,111; 1895, 157; 1896, 
179 ; 1897, 187. It will be seen that 
the number of births in the different 
years has probably increased at about 
the same rate as the population of the 
town. One would suppose that the 
birth rate would vary greatly in differ- 
ent years, but on the contrary it is 
surprisingly uniform. 

A scarcity in the annual crop in one 
part of the town, is always made up 
by an extraordinary yield in some 
part. 

The marriages in the town are not 
uniform in number as will be seen. 
The number in 1893 was 59; 1894, 
56; 1895, 52; 1896, 57; 1897,71. 
The number this year will be some 
less than last year. It is said, that 
other things being equal, marriages 
vary in number with the prosperity of 
the times ; it is certain that in this 
town at least, they do not increase in 
the ratio of the increase in population. 
The number of marriages last year, in 
proportion to population was in excess 
of any year since I have had the 
custody of the records ; and yet the 
times were not very prosperous and it 
did not seem to be a good year for 
marrying. I am inchned to think that 
the natural laws which regulate mar- 
riages, are too subtle and mysterious 
for any "fellow to find out." 

The deaths in the town for the past 



five years have been as follows : 
1893, 101 ; 1894, 91 ; 1895, 107 ; 
1896, 110; 1897, 103. It will be 
seen that the total number of deaths 
in a year was not much increased in 
the five years, although there was a 
large increase in population. This 
means a diminished death rate. For 
the five years previous to 1893 the 
number was as follows : 1888, 88 ; 
1889, 85; 1890, 124; 1891, 92; 
1892, 125. 

What is the cause of this diminished 
death rate? The water works were 
put in operation in the fall of 1894. 
The average number of deaths per 
annum for the five years peceding the 
introduction of water was almost 
exactly the same as the average since 
we have had the water. The death 
rate in 1890 was upwards of 25 per 
thousand. In 1895 about 19 per 
thousand. In 1897 about 15 per 
thousand. Whether this diminished 
death rate is due to the introduction 
of water, or to an accidental freedom 
from deadly epidemics, or to increased 
skill of our physicians, can be better 
determined in the future. 

Certain it is that the death rate of 
Methuen is below the average. It 
thus seems probable that the most 
important result of the introduction of 
water, has been the better health of 
the people of the town. It would be 
interesting to know of what nationali- 
ties our new townspeople are made up, 
but there is no way of finding out. It 
is generally supposed that a very large 
proportion are of foreign birth, mostly 

lO 



English and German and Canadian, 
with a small sprinkling of almost every 
European nation. Most of them are 
working people, many of whom own 
their homes, and are temperate, thrifty 
and industrious. I do not think the 
number of paupers has increased in 
proportion to the increase in numbers. 
I think, too, that the number of 
foreign-born newcomers is probably 
over-rated. The only means of form- 
ing any opinion on that matter, that I 
know of, is from the additions to the 
check list. 

The number of new voters registered 
the present year, 1898, is 189, and a 
larger proportion of naturalized citi- 
zens were registered this year than 
ever before. Of this number 104 or 
55 per cent, were native-born Ameri 
cans, 57 or 30 per cent, were English, 
14 or about 8 per cent, were German, 
8 or 4 per cent, were Canadians, 
4 or 2 per cent, were Irish, 1 Nor- 
wegian, 1 Austrian. Probably this 
does not fairly represent the proportion 
of new residents of foreign birth, but 
it shows who are becoming voters, and 
also that a goodly number of Ameri- 
cans are taking up their abode in 
Methuen. The causes of this phe- 
nomenal growth, which has recently 
been going on, are not far to seek. 
There has been no great industry 
established here calling for a large 
number of workmen, but there can be 
no doubt that the expansion of busi- 
ness in the Arlington mill, just over 
the line in Lawrence, has had much 
to do with it. Our fine water system, 



which has probably few equals in the 
State, has doubtless been another cause 
of growth. To these two causes must 
be added the electric roads running 
through the town, which make it easy 
for people doing business or working 
in Lawrence, to have a home in the 
country, where land is cheap, and the 
surroundings pleasanter than in the 
crowded streets of the city. The 
question whether this rapid growth is 
to continue is not easy to answer, but 
I think we may reasonably expect a 
steady increase in wealth and popula- 
tion for a long time to come. Methuen 
is, doubtless, destined to be mainly a 
residence town, which is the best kind 
of a town to live in. There are several 
things which must, in the long run, 
exert an important influence. 

Our water system, already mention- 
ed, will be an important factor in the 
future prosperity of Methuen. It is 
one of the best in the State, and I 
ought to say, in passing, that its estab 
lishment has been one of the most 
successful and important enterprises of 
the past five years. There are now 
nearly 900 water takers, a number far 
exceeding the anticipation of the most 
sanguine advocates of the introduction 
of water, and consequently the income 
is greater, and burden upon the tax- 
payers less, than was anticipated. 
One of the speakers at Topsfield said 
that a person seeking a place in which 
to make his home would judge the 
character of a community by three 
things : — the character of the roads, 
the quality of the schools, and the 
manner in which the cemetery are 



kept. Judging by this standard Me- 
thuen is a most desirable place to 
settle in. Our roads have attained a 
very enviable reputation within the 
past five years. Methuen has, now, a 
dozen or fifteen miles of streets not 
excelled in any town of its size in the 
State, and not equalled in the county. 
In road making we are furnishing an 
object lesson to the cities and towns 
around us. 

Last year I attended a meeting at 
Salem of the officers of the towns and 
cities of the county, called together by 
the State Highway Commission to dis- 
cuss the subjects of roads and road- 
making, and was greatly pleased to 
hear one of the town officers from the 
eastern part of the county, in a speech 
favoring an improved system of road- 
making, say "we want better roads, 
such roads as Methuen has." Now 
this system of road-making, which we 
have entered upon with such success 
and for which we really deserve great 
credit, cannot fail to have an important 
influence on the future of our town. 
Our schools are kept well up to the 
standard, and our old burial grounds, 
thanks to a public spirited citizen, have 
been put in perfect condition, and are 
models of neatness. 

But some one will remind me of 
things we lack and say that we are 
behind other towns in the matter of 
sidewalks, sewers, electric lights, etc. 
The answer to that is, that we should 
be judged by what we have, rather 
than by what we have not. The public 
spirit of a town or city is to be judged 
by what they are willing to contribute 



for the public benefit. In other words, 
by the taxation, they are wilHng to 
impose on themselves for desirable 
public works. I believe that, hitherto, 
this town has taxed itself as heavily as 
it ought for public improvements, and 
that the money has been spent as 
judiciously on the whole, as can be 
expected in any municipality. Me- 
thuen is is not a rich town. We have 
been blessed with a few very wealthy 
citizens, who have spent their means 
with a lavish hand for improvements, 
which the poorest citizen can enjoy as 
well as the most wealthy. But the 
great majority of our people have 
small means. There are very few of 
what may be called moderately wealthy 
men. The rate of taxation which we 
have imposed on ourselves is greater 
than the average in the State, and I 
contend that this is the true measure 
of our public spirit. If we lack some 
thmgs we much desire, it is because we 
cannot yet afford to have them. 

But after all, Methuen will be distin- 
guished in the future for attractions 
which none of us would have dreamed 
of twenty years ago. We should not 
then have believed that the town would 
ever be noted for containing some of 
the masterpieces of the most famous 
painters and sculptors of our time, 
and yet this is an accomphshed fact. 

Nature has done much for the sur- 
roundings of this village, but within 
the last few years the region around 
this building, and about "Whittier's 
Hill," including the grounds of Mr. 
Searles, has been transformed by the 
art of the landscape gardner and the 



exquisite taste of the proprietors of 
the grounds, into a scene of beauty 
which is equalled in few, if any, places 
in the country. And I suspect that 
the masterpiece of Mr. Ball — as I 
believe he regards it — which our 
munificent fellow-citizen has just placed 
in position, is in itself sufficient to 
make Methuen famous and to immor- 
talize the name of him who had the 
means and the inclination and appre- 
ciative taste to enable the distinguished 
artist to embody his conception in 
bronze and stone for the admiration of 
this and future generations. Already 
the lovers of the beautiful in nature 
and art are coming to Methuen, as 
the faithful Moslem visits Mecca. It 
requires no great stretch of imagination 
to believe that a hundred years hence 
lovers of art will flock hither from 
distant places just as they now visit 
the old world to see the great works 
of the old masters, and the town will 
be famous for containing some of the 
best specimens of the work of Ball, 
LaFarge, St. Gaudens and other great 
artists. Our town is every year be- 
coming more and more attractive. 
The unsightly old buildings one by 
one disappear. A few, perhaps, ought 
to remain as relics of the old times. 
Just now we are seeing the old hotel 
transformed by the skill and taste of 
its owner into a tasteful structure, 
which beautifies the square. All these 
improvements must have their influence 
to make the town more desirable to 
live in, and to draw hither a commu- 
nity of refined and cultured people. 



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